Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
Some professionals argue that project management has gained recognition as a critical leadership function, contributing directly to business outcomes. Others feel that increased standardization and the integration of AI-driven tools may have reduced aspects of the role to administrative oversight.
Program Manager| HARPER SRLSanto Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
I think the value hasn’t decreased but shifted. Routine coordination and reporting are becoming automated, which may make parts of the role feel commoditized. But the strategic aspects, decision framing, stakeholder alignment, trade-off management, and navigating ambiguity are more valuable than ever.
The profession will continue gaining value while moving closer to judgment and leadership, and maybe losing while staying only administrative.
I think it really depends on the organisations that you work for and how they view project managers. I've worked for companies where stakeholders feel like project managers are the botlenecks and the ones stopping them from being able to do work but other organisations where projects would fail without someone sitting in a project manager position. Saving Changes...
Preeti GuptaSenior Technical Program ManagerChicago, United States
The PM role isn’t becoming smaller — it’s becoming more strategic. And a lot of it depends on how individual PMs and Program Managers choose to operate. I also agree with Jacob Vu — organizational context matters a lot. Some companies still view Project Managers primarily as coordinators and task trackers, while others position them as strategic leaders who drive outcomes and transformation. Saving Changes...
Across my career, I’ve seen both trends. The administrative side of project management is being automated, but the strategic side has become far more valued. Organizations now look to PMs for judgment, alignment, stakeholder trust, and clarity in complex environments. Tools may replace tasks, but they can’t replace the leadership that defines real project value. Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
This is an important and timely debate.
Yes, project management has gained recognition as a leadership function. But that recognition is conditional. It depends on how the role is exercised.
Standardization and AI have automated large parts of coordination, reporting and documentation. That is not a downgrade. It is a liberation. The administrative layer is increasingly handled by systems. What remains, and becomes more visible, is the human layer of responsibility.
The real question is not whether AI reduces the role. It is whether professionals reduce themselves to the parts AI can replicate.
AI can generate schedules, analyze risk patterns and optimize workflows. It cannot assume accountability for trade-offs under uncertainty. It cannot navigate power asymmetries between sponsors and teams. It cannot decide when strategic alignment is eroding even if performance metrics look healthy.
In complex environments, the scarcest capability is no longer technical knowledge. It is judgment. The ability to integrate governance, value, ethics and long-term impact into coherent decisions. That is leadership.
If project managers define themselves as process supervisors, the role may indeed become administrative. If they step into decision stewardship and systemic integration, their relevance increases.
My take is clear: the profession is not being diminished. It is being tested. Those who evolve toward strategic, ethical and integrative leadership will shape business outcomes more directly than ever. Saving Changes...
Rostislav SchwarzProject and program manager| freelancerPraha 1, Czechia
I agree, administrative work and project management are becoming less expensive not only because of LLM, but also because of the excess of supply over demand. Similarly, IT salaries are stagnating.
...
1 reply by Eduard Hernandez
Mar 11, 2026 11:26 AM
Eduard Hernandez
...
I believe that salary stagnation is occurring across various fields and roles. I have a few friends who are contracting in the Life Sciences space that have to decrease rates to remain competitive. This is worth another thread, thanks for commenting.
Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
Mar 10, 2026 3:17 PM
Replying to Rostislav Schwarz
...
I agree, administrative work and project management are becoming less expensive not only because of LLM, but also because of the excess of supply over demand. Similarly, IT salaries are stagnating.
I believe that salary stagnation is occurring across various fields and roles. I have a few friends who are contracting in the Life Sciences space that have to decrease rates to remain competitive. This is worth another thread, thanks for commenting.
...
1 reply by Rostislav Schwarz
Mar 13, 2026 4:29 AM
Rostislav Schwarz
...
The same experience I got from CZ market - the PMs in pharma industry still ahead of for example of those in financial, I mean banks and insurance companies, sector in the area of MD rate.
I dont know, simply, how to switch the line from financial into pharma sector being since 1996 around banks and since 1999 project manager.
Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
Given all the input so far, it appears that the role of the PM must evolve into that of a professional who masters communication, alignment and strategic thinking, operating at the intersection of strategy and execution. This is not entirely different from what the role has historically been. However, the rise of AI and other technological advancements is placing greater emphasis on the strategic aspects of the job (areas that were previously less visible).
The focus is shifting away from producing polished slide decks and documenting meeting minutes, and toward continuously tracking and demonstrating the value that projects deliver. I believe that PMs are increasingly expected to sit alongside key decision-makers, helping evaluate trade-offs and ensuring that initiatives remain aligned with broader organizational goals.
Thanks everyone for the insights! Saving Changes...
Rostislav SchwarzProject and program manager| freelancerPraha 1, Czechia
Mar 11, 2026 11:26 AM
Replying to Eduard Hernandez
...
I believe that salary stagnation is occurring across various fields and roles. I have a few friends who are contracting in the Life Sciences space that have to decrease rates to remain competitive. This is worth another thread, thanks for commenting.
The same experience I got from CZ market - the PMs in pharma industry still ahead of for example of those in financial, I mean banks and insurance companies, sector in the area of MD rate.
I dont know, simply, how to switch the line from financial into pharma sector being since 1996 around banks and since 1999 project manager.
"If they have moving sidewalks in the future, when you get on them, I think you should have to assume sort of a walking shape so as not to frighten the dogs."
Community Champion
